Profile: Warren has been used virtually exclusively as a reliever in the two-plus years he’s been in the majors, but given the Yankees’ dearth of starting pitching depth —Masahiro Tanaka and CC Sabathia have major injury concerns, Ivan Nova won’t be ready until at least May after having Tommy John surgery, Michael Pineda is not exactly a paradigm of durability, and swingman David Phelps was just shipped to Miami —the 27-year-old has been instructed to prepare for a possible starter’s job in 2015. Warren, who features a slider, curveball and changeup to compliment his mid-90s fastball, had himself a very effective 2014 as a middle reliever, greatly improving his strikeout-to-walk ratio along with his strand rate. He’s only made three starts in the majors, but was a rotation man down in the minors, where he posted middling strikeout and walk numbers; although his fastball velocity has steadily ticked upwards since breaking into the majors, it could lose some steam if he’s stretched into a starter’s role, and his secondary stuff didn’t generate whiff rates above league average last year. Meanwhile, a 6% home-run-to-fly-ball rate is likely to climb given Yankee Stadium’s homer-aiding ways, as does a 2.97 ERA that benefited from some batted ball luck. At the least, Phelps’ departure should open the door for Warren to pick up some starts as the team’s swingman, but even if the Yankees were to hand him a rotation spot, he seems unlikely to distinguish himself for fantasy purposes. (Karl de Vries)

The Quick Opinion: Warren has demonstrated success at the major league level, but needs to prove himself as a starter before earning any value beyond AL-only leagues.

Profile: Called into action by the Yankees last year after injuries arose, Adam Warren proved himself to be a solid starting pitcher just a year after proving himself to be a valuable reliever. While in the rotation, Warren’s fastball sits in the low 90s, and he works in a slider and changeup, both of which are at least average offerings, and the occasional curveball. As a reliever, Warren can generate swings and misses, but as expected, he’s not as adept at doing so in the rotation. As a starter, Warren strikes out batters at a below-average rate, his walk rate is average, and he doesn’t get as many grounders as someone with his repertoire arguably should. So why would a team put him in the rotation, instead of letting him thrive in the bullpen? Innings are valuable, and when you find someone who can deliver them -- even if all they are is average -- you pounce. After being traded to the Cubs, Warren will battle Kyle Hendricks for a spot in the rotation. Hendricks has more upside as a starter, and Warren’s history as a good reliever will likely send him to the bullpen, where he’ll pitch alongside Hector Rondon, Pedro Strop, and Justin Grimm in the late innings. If any injury occurs, Warren could see his way into the rotation, at which point he could be a solid flier in 14-team leagues. (Zach Sanders)

The Quick Opinion: Adam Warren was going to have to fight for a spot in the Yankees rotation, but now ge’s gets the honor of fighting for a spot in the Cubs rotation. If he loses his battle with Kyle Hendricks, Warren is a solid late-inning reliever, but not one you need on your fantasy team.